Heloise: Seeing red in a white carpet

Dear Heloise: Help! I just spilled red nail polish on my white carpet. What do I do? — A Reader, via email

Oops! This is not good, and at this point it is going to be difficult. Whether spilled nail polish, soda or a sports drink, red is one of THE hardest colors to remove. Before you try, be sure you test it in an out-of-the-way area (such as a closet or corner of the room) so you don’t cause damage to the carpet.

Pour nonacetone nail-polish remover onto a cloth (NOT on the carpet) and blot the stain, continuously moving to clean parts of the cloth. Blot from the outside of the stain inward.

Next, make a cleaning solution by mixing 1 teaspoon of liquid dish soap and 1 cup of water. Apply using a clean cloth. Rinse the stain with water and blot dry. Repeat these steps as necessary to remove the stain, but it may be a lost cause. — Heloise

Once upon a time, an ice storm in Little Rock, Ark., disconnected our electricity. After three days, we were desperate for a bath! My husband and I went to one of the better facilities near the airport. We asked for a nonsmoking room.

The room had a strong tobacco odor, a brown haze and a sign that stated “Smoking.” We called the front desk, and the clerk said, “Turn the sign over.” The sign said “No Smoking.” That didn’t help much, but the bath was great! — G.N.H., Little Rock, Ark.

Well, that’s funny and not! — Heloise

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Dear Heloise: When I get a cardboard shipping box that I want to reuse, I remove the shipping labels. Usually, just trying to peel the label will damage the box. I take the hair dryer, put it on high and heat the label. After a few seconds, the adhesive becomes soft, and the label peels off. -- D.N., via email

Wow and double wow! This hint was tested several times at Heloise Central, and it works like magic! We removed three different types of labels/stickers from a cardboard box, and they just peeled right off. How cool! You can reuse a box and save money while being “green.” Please share more green hints anytime. — Heloise

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Send a money-saving or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or email it to Heloise@Heloise.com.